Illini Lose Kpedi

De Paul Seeks To Halt Skid

Illinois` basketball team got some chilling news Friday, and it had nothing to do with the below-zero temperature outside.

The Illini, coming off their best game of the year, found out they may have to play without 6-foot-8-inch center Andy Kpedi until the start of the Big 10 season Jan. 4.

Kpedi, who played less than 2 minutes of Illinois` 101-93 victory over Missouri in St. Louis Wednesday night, has a slight tear in his left Achilles tendon, according to trainer Rod Cardinal.

He will be out a week to 10 days, Cardinal said, which means he will miss Saturday night`s home game against Wisconsin-Green Bay and might not be back for next weekend`s Old Style Classic in Chicago.

Although the Illini managed to beat Missouri without the Nigerian-born junior college transfer, ``we really struggled,`` said coach Lou Henson. ``We had to move Stephen Bardo to cover the post. It`s important that we get him back.``

Kpedi had averaged only 6.5 points a game in the previous six games, but he was the team`s second leading rebounder at 6.5 and had blocked 10 shots. In addition, he was the best defensive player of the three Henson has been using at center.

Kpedi had been complaining of soreness in his left leg for about two weeks, and although previous X-rays had proved negative, he underwent a bone scan Friday to determine if there was an undetected stress fracture.

None was found, but the Achilles tendon injury was discovered during the examination.

His absence means that 6-7 senior Ervin Small and 6-7 junior Rodney Jones will have to share the post duties.

Small had an outstanding game against Missouri, scoring 11 points in the second half. ``The game of his career,`` Henson said. ``We had guys play in that game who haven`t played like that in a lifetime.``

Illinois undoubtedly will move up to at least No. 4 in the wire service polls next week, provided it gets past Wisconsin-Green Bay Saturday night.

While that seems a foregone conclusion, the Phoenix are 6-1, their only loss coming at Northwestern when they were without their star player, point guard Tony Bennett.

Bennett, the son of coach Dick Bennett, is back now, and the team is on a five-game winning streak. The latest victory was a 69-39 triumph at Boise State.

``They play a lot like our club,`` said Henson.

``The two clubs really mirror each other.``

De Paul-Marquette and De Paul, two basketball programs apparently headed in opposite directions, compete at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Horizon.

The Warriors, under first-year coach Kevin O`Neill, have rebounded from two straight losing seasons to post a 4-3 record that includes an upset over Notre Dame and a close loss to defending NCAA champion Michigan.

De Paul, which has played in the NCAA tournament in each of Joey Meyer`s six years as coach, has skidded to a 3-7 record that includes a current five- game losing streak.

Furthermore, the Blue Demons already have lost three times this year at the Horizon-to La Salle, Western Illinois and Dayton. De Paul has not lost more than four games in the Rosemont arena since it began playing there a decade ago. Remaining Horizon opponents this season include Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Texas and UAB.

Meyer frankly admits he does not know the cause of the frigid shooting slump that has gripped his 40 percent shooters. He`s hopeful that freshman guard Terry Davis may have begun a thaw of the cold shooting when he scored four 3-point baskets late in Wednesday`s loss to Dayton.

O`Neill attributes his Warriors` surprising improvement to a sound work ethic and to leadership and confidence instilled by Tony Smith, senior point guard who leads the team with averages of 17.6 points and 5.6 assists per game.